WHAT: Akebono cherry trees, also known as daybreak cherry trees, are commonly planted in the Northwest for their stunning masses of large, semi-double, pink flowers that fade slightly as they age.
They bloom in April and develop wide-spreading branches, featuring golden yellow fall color with orange highlights.
WHY PLANT IT: Akebono is noted for its resistance to the serious fungal disease known as brown rot, which afflicts many flowering cherries in the coastal Northwest.
Brown rot causes branch tips to die and can require such severe pruning that a tree becomes disfigured.
Eventually brown rot can kill a cherry tree. Akebono is not immune, but is highly resistant.
WHERE: It is important to plant Akebono in full sun and well-drained soil. It is drought tolerant once established.
HOW: Light pruning may be required to shape the tree, but otherwise it is a carefree plant.
ACTUAL SIZE: This deciduous tree features a spreading canopy.
It grows 10 to 15 feet tall and as wide in 10 years. At maturity it reaches 25 feet tall and 40 feet wide.
Most cherry trees develop thick roots near the soil’s surface, so they should not be planted too near pavement.
LEARN MORE: See www.greatplantpicks.org.
Source: Great Plant Picks
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